Romain Slocombe, born in Paris in 1953, stands as a seasoned and widely recognized French author, especially renowned in the detective fiction realm. A versatile creator, he also produces graphic novels and illustrated works, boasting more than 25 novels to his credit. He has earned the respect of critics and the praise of booksellers alike. His Inspector Sadorski series has sold over 120,000 copies in France, with the sixth volume already released and a seventh in preparation. The novel Inspector Sadorski’s Yellow Star has recently reached Spanish readers through Malpaso publishing. In an interview with El Periódico de Catalunya, part of the Prensa Ibérica group, Slocombe discusses his literary world and the controversial police figure who anchors it.
How would you describe Sadorski, the central character of your detective series? Is the setting France under occupation by the Nazis?
Sadorski emerges as a deeply flawed figure. His mission places him at the helm of an anti-Semitic police squad tasked with arresting French Jews. He aligns with the establishment and supports Marshal Pétain, viewing the Resistance as a threat. He is hostile and abrasive, yet not devoid of humanity.
Despite these traits, what keeps him grounded?
He shows recognizably human reactions. In Inspector Sadorski’s Yellow Star, he experiences a complex relationship with a 15-year-old young man. While the desires are conflicted, there is also a drive to protect him. The narrative makes visible the suffering of Jews through a lens shaped by women’s experiences; Sadorski perceives the victims’ pain and is moved by it. It becomes clear that the most grievous crime is often bureaucratic murder, where decisions by those in authority are carried out by ordinary people.
The most dangerous crime is bureaucratic murder
You chose to place the protagonist among the executioners rather than the heroes. Why pursue that angle?
The choice aims to offer a fresh perspective. The occupation era reveals itself most starkly through the actions of those who execute orders. The world Sadorski inhabits shows how many Jews became victims within a system that the Germans demanded and that some French collaborators implemented with a troubling sense of normalcy. The narrative invites readers to follow a right-wing character whose views reflect the period, to understand how many did not grasp that concentration camps were extermination camps. It highlights how public opinion could be shaped by those in power and how ordinary citizens participated in harsh realities under duress.
The occupation was not merely a sad and gloomy epoch, despite common clichés in cinema. People found ways to enjoy life
What connections exist between the Nazi Occupation and today’s world?
A shared thread is immigration. After World War I, waves of newcomers arrived—Italians fleeing Mussolini’s regime, Germans, including many Jews escaping Nazism, and Eastern European migrants from Poland and Romania. France, a prosperous nation, faced the challenges of mass immigration, and at times people worried that newcomers were competing for jobs. A xenophobic reaction appeared then, mirroring some attitudes seen today.
Beyond the parallels with today, what draws you to the Second World War era?
Although the author was born after the war, family stories from that time shaped the curiosity about Paris under occupation. It challenges the idea that the period was solely bleak. Despite gasoline shortages and cold homes, there was vitality in the city—music, cinema, fashion, and social dynamics that reveal a more nuanced picture. The era saw both scarcity and opportunity, with a parallel market and a widening gap between wealth and need.
Inspector Sadorski’s Yellow Star unfolds during the spring and summer of 1942, around the Vel d’Hiv raid. Why is that event significant?
The author invites readers to view that period through a contemporary lens while noting that the Holocaust concept was not yet in common use. The Vel d’Hiv raid shocked Parisians as police transported Jewish families away from their homes, dispelling any lingering myths about a benign occupation. The early waves of Resistance gains intensified after those events, and Parisians recognized that the Occupation was far from a mere backdrop to life in the city.
Literary morality lies in originality. Portraying episodes like the Vel d’Hiv raid marks a determined writer
Even after the war, the Vel d’Hiv raid remained a delicate topic in post-war France.
The official story once portrayed a near-universal French resistance, while collaborators were depicted as a minority. That gloss began to crack with films such as Night and Fog and other controversial works, which slowly shifted perceptions from a Reservoir of resistance to a more complex, sometimes painful history. In that context, the author embraces a stark, introspective approach to depict the era with integrity.
How does detective fiction contribute to telling stories from that time?
The series aims to sketch a portrait of French society under occupation. The police officer figure provides a portable lens for exploring power, coercion, and daily life. Truth-telling in crime fiction becomes a way to illuminate reality without resorting to shallow sensationalism. The tradition of crime fiction, echoed by authors like Patrick Modiano, demonstrates how gloomy atmospheres can reflect historical truths and moral dilemmas without ignoring them.
The most dangerous people are those who struggle to see beyond their own point of view. Manichaeism, not relativism, is of interest to me.
Does creating a literary series about an anti-Semitic and conniving inspector carry a moral duty for the author?
Following a style akin to Simenon, the author refrains from judging characters outright. The aim is to present actions and beliefs honestly while avoiding political indoctrination. Morality emerges from a commitment to factual representation rather than distortion for any particular cause. Originality in storytelling becomes a moral anchor, and scenes like the Vel d’Hiv raid are included to engage readers without resorting to melodrama.
Is there a risk of slipping into extreme moral relativism when portraying collaborators with moral ambiguity, especially given recent controversial works?
The intention is to inhabit different viewpoints to understand motivations. Some characters act under the belief they are doing right, while others obey orders they perceive as necessary. The German SS officers who carried out atrocities were driven by a mix of fanaticism and ordinary pressures, and their actions were framed as a supposed public health measure in their own minds. The aim remains to foreground diverse perspectives while resisting vindication of harmful choices. The storytelling focus leans toward clarity over moral ambiguity for its own sake, emphasizing a genuine search for understanding rather than excuses.